Turning Research into Narrative

Every writer needs to research, whether you're building the world of a historical novel, writing your first nonfiction essay, or simply want to place your characters in a different city. In this workshop, food historian and author Sarah Lohman will show you how to be a responsible researcher and how to turn that knowledge into a compelling narrative.

The first half of the class will be a primer on researching. We'll cover:

• Beyond the Google search: Google Books and Ngram viewer
• How to find primary sources and when to trust secondary sources.
• How to access academic articles and scientific studies (and why you should).
• How to research historical figures using Ancestry.com and Newspaper databases.
• When you need to go to the library/archive (and when you don’t).
• The importance of research experiences - go touch a thing, see a thing, and do a thing.

We'll practice analyzing sources throughout class and there will be plenty of time for Q&A.

Then, in the afternoon, you'll look at examples of Lohman's work to understand how to convert raw fact to narrative. We'll cover the do and don'ts of incorporating and citing research and you'll complete a short research project and convert it into a narrative piece.

If we all write "what we know," the bookstore would be a pretty boring place. Come learn the rich detail good research adds to a novel and how sniffing out an untold story is a significant journalistic accomplishment.
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Details: Turning Research into Narrative takes place Saturday December 2 from 10 - 3pm (with a 1 hour lunch break) in person at the Literary Cleveland offices, 13002 Larchmere Blvd, Cleveland OH 44120.

Prerequisite: None

Genre: Nonfiction

Level: All levels.

Format: Craft talk & Generative Workshop.

Location: This class takes place in-person at the Literary Cleveland offices, 13002 Larchmere Blvd, Cleveland OH 44120.

Size: Limited to 35 participants (including scholarships).

Scholarships: Two scholarship spots are available for this class for writers in Northeast Ohio. Apply by August 21. NOTE: You can apply for scholarships this semester even if you have received one for a previous semester.

Cancellations & Refunds: Cancel at least 48 hours in advance of the first class meeting to receive a full refund. Email info@litcleveland.org.